Northshore parent Corina Pfeil testified on behalf of Washington State PTA in support of SB 5689 in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee February 18th. The bill would require school districts to adopt a transgender student policy and procedures, and to designate a primary point of contact within schools for policy implementation and…

Olympia digs out from the snow, first cutoff looms Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org In unprecedented action, the Legislature cancelled committee meetings Monday, February 11, due to historic amounts of snow that had fallen since the previous Friday. Most Monday committee meetings were rescheduled for later in the week. On the 11th,…

Sherry Rudolph showed some love for two bills that were heard February 14, including SB 5853, which would increase the 40-year old student space allocation and cost allowance formulas to more current standards, with a phased-in approach. The bill was part of the Senate Ways & Means Committee meeting. Here’s her testimony in support of…

Dear Washington State PTA member, Washington has an estimated shortage of 3500 certificated teachers, and 97% of human resource (HR) directors say they are struggling or in crisis mode when asked about their ability to hire qualified, certificated candidates to fill current open positions. Every student deserves to be taught by an excellent, engaged teacher.…

Dear Washington State PTA member, Inclusion of social emotional learning and trauma-informed practices at schools has been demonstrated to lead to better outcomes for students, and it is WSPTA’s top legislative priority during this legislative session. Social emotional skills complement cognitive skills and are associated with increased academic achievement, higher income, better health, and social engagement. By…

Dear Washington State PTA member, WSPTA recognizes that students deserve to learn in modern, safe school facilities. Most school districts do not have sufficient building capacity to meet the needs of state-mandated reduced class sizes and high school requirements, and often use portables lacking adequate bathroom and lunchroom facilities. Current funding is insufficient for districts…

Dear Washington State PTA member, WSPTA recognizes the essential need for children to be safe at home and at school. WSPTA members adopted several positions that promote student safety, including policies that prevent gun violence (including youth suicides) and policies that promote school safety planning. As children and youth spend a large part of their…

Amy Ulrich, lead on the Best Practices for School Meals – Lunch position adopted last fall, testified in favor of HB 1272, which would direct OSPI to identify six demonstration sites to support a 20-minute seated lunch period. Amy’s testimony: Testimony on HB 1272 2/5/2019 3:30 p.m., House Education, HHR A Good afternoon, Madam…

Dear Washington State PTA member, Ample funding of basic education has been a WSPTA priority for decades. While the legislature has made considerable funding increases, further strategic investments are needed to equitably address the needs of all our students in Washington state. We are asking you to contact your legislators with the following message here to support…

Snowmageddon strikes but Advocacy Week continues Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Even before forecasts of large snowstorms across the state were announced for February 8th through the weekend and Governor Jay Inslee declared an emergency, Olympia started the week with a dusting of snow. Schools were closed or delayed, people were encouraged…